


stargazing

by HeavyHeartstrings



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 2 parts, Camping, M/M, Summer Vacation, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23620894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavyHeartstrings/pseuds/HeavyHeartstrings
Summary: Love blooms in the time or place you least expect it.And sometimes it's been there all along, growing in the background without you even realizing it. Thriving with every laugh, budding with every tear, flourishing with every smile.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 11
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

“Remind me why I agreed to this.”

“Iwa-chan, it’s summer break and you promised you’d take me camping!”

Iwaizumi’s eyes meet the clear, blue sky above as he wracks his brain momentarily, trying to remember saying such a thing. The words sound vaguely familiar, but he can’t exactly pin point the moment. “Doesn’t sound like something I’d do,” he denies.

Oikawa huffs, turning his nose up. “You probably can’t remember ‘cause you’ve taken so many serves to the head,” he taunts back, turning to stare at Iwaizumi with a small smirk. “Early onset memory loss is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Iwaizumi’s free hand not carrying the packed tent flicks Oikawa in the nose and he releases a sound more of shock than pain, glaring in his friend’s direction. Oikawa widens the space between them by a few feet, still walking alongside him and shielding his face with the cooler he's carrying. “That hurt!”

“Baby,” Iwaizumi returns simply, not bothering to pay him anymore attention. He nods to a cleared-out spot amongst the trees surrounding the dirt path. “Look, there’s an empty site. Let’s set up there.”

Oikawa lowers his arms, still frowning but giving a sound of acknowledgement. They veer off path and drop their belongings onto the ground. Oikawa turns around to face the dense trees surrounding their small camp site, already wanting to go explore within.

“If you try to leave before this tent is set up, I’ll seriously hit you,” Iwaizumi voices, somehow reading his mind.

Oikawa’s head snaps back towards Iwaizumi, brows coming down and mouth set in a pout. “I wasn’t going to,” he protests meekly.

“Bullshit you weren’t. Now get over here and start connecting the tent poles while I lay it out.”

* * *

The tent takes longer than expected to set up. Iwaizumi blames it on Oikawa being useless and Oikawa blames it on the design on the tent being unnecessarily difficult to work with. They have to take it down midway through to fix mistakes (“Iwa-chan, how was I supposed to know the connectors were different sizes?” “If you would have _read_ the instructions-“ “pft, who actually reads instruction manuals?”) in the set up, but eventually the small tent is ready and Oikawa chimes excitedly when it’s nearly done. He unzips the entrance and grabs his belongings and sleeping bag to unroll it within. Iwaizumi is hitting the tent pegs into the ground with a mallet to secure it in place, ignoring Oikawa’s coos of excitement from within.

He supposes Oikawa has mentioned a few times during the school year that he really wanted to go camping before the end of the summer. Iwaizumi shuffles over to another peg, holding it above the dirt and swinging the mallet down with a few thumps. What’s there to be so excited about anyway? He’s pretty sure it’s not Oikawa’s first-time going camping, so it’s not like this is a new experience for him or anything.

“Oi, zip that back up or bugs are going to get inside,” Iwaizumi mutters loud enough for Oikawa to hear him.

A small ‘yuck’ is heard from within the tent and Iwaizumi hears the zipper closing. Smirking to himself, he moves to the next peg.

Oikawa’s voice pipes up right behind him, making Iwaizumi flinch before he turns around to look up at him standing over with his hands on his hips. “How much longer? I wanna go exploring.”

“You’re a child,” Iwaizumi mutters, returning his attention to the tent peg and hitting it with the mallet. “I have two more left. Go put on some bug spray beforehand, cause I don’t wanna hear you bitching about getting bit later.”

“’Kay!” Oikawa says chipperly, returning to the tent. Iwaizumi hears zipping and shuffling and then a moment of silence. When Oikawa speaks up timidly, Iwaizumi feels a frown tugging on his mouth almost instinctively. He’s heard that guilt-like tone many times. “Uh, Iwa-chan?”

“What?” He pipes back.

“I forgot bug spray.”

Iwaizumi pauses with the mallet raised, glaring at the tent even though he can’t see Oikawa inside. “Of course you did. Well, whatever. Not my problem.”

“Iwa-chan that’s mean! Won’t you get bit too?” Oikawa asks in return.

“I brought a net hat, so at least my face and neck will be fine.” Iwaizumi replies boredly, finishing with the last tent peg. He stands and walks to the tent entrance, glaring at the open flap.

“I _just_ told you to keep this closed,” Iwaizumi says, gathering his bag and then and all but throwing it directly at Oikawa with force. He watches Oikawa yelp and half-catch, half-receive the bag with his face.

“I forgot, sorry!” He bites back with heat, face spotting redness from the impact. Oikawa drops it to the tent ground carelessly and then exits, zipping it up behind him.

“I’m not killing the earwigs that crawl all over you tonight,” Iwaizumi comments, turning to face the thick cluster of trees surrounding them, taking it all in.

“Ew, don’t joke about that!” Oikawa protests, walking by him and starting into the forest.

Iwaizumi stands still for an extra moment with his hands tucked into the pockets of his shorts, eyes fixated on the back of Oikawa walking ahead. A fond look crosses Iwaizumi's eyes and he trails behind seconds later, the occasional twig snapping under his step with a sudden crack.

* * *

The sound of a slap cuts through the forest, followed by a small grunt. “Iwa-chan, this is terrible, I’m getting eaten alive.”

“I said no bitching. You have only yourself to blame for this.”

“Let me use your hat, please?”

“Not a chance.”

“Come on! My beautiful, porcelain face is getting mauled here! You, on the other hand have nothing to lose.”

Another slap, much louder and forceful this time, echoes around them.

* * *

They walk for around half an hour before Oikawa says he wants to do something else.

“You bored already?” Iwaizumi asks with a bit of skepticism in his voice.

“No way!” Oikawa protests adamantly, making an 'x' with his hands. “It’s the first day here. If we see everything all at once, it won’t be as exciting, you know?”

Iwaizumi shrugs. “Sure. How about we go fishing to catch dinner for later?” He asks. “The lake isn’t too far from our site.”

Oikawa’s head lulls back and forth, weighing it up. “Eh, sounds boring. Can I swim while you fish? I brought a cute floatie.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes become unimpressed. “No dumbass. You’ll scare them all away.”

Oikawa fold his arms over his chest, staring at the ground and contemplating. “Hm, what should I do then?”

“You can get to work on setting up a fire,” Iwaizumi ponders.

“What? You think it will take me that long?” Oikawa asks, eyebrows drawn down. It’s only mid afternoon.

“The kindling should make it easy. But, you’ll also need to-“

Iwaizumi doesn’t like the way Oikawa abruptly freezes in place, shoulders hunching a bit and turning to stare at him with a blank gaze.

“Uhm, what?” Oikawa asks sheepishly.

“ _Kindling,_ ” Iwaizumi repeats harsher this time. “To help start the fire. You brought some, right?”

“Uh, yea about that…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Iwaizumi says with a sigh in tow.

“I don’t know what kindling is!” Oikawa exclaims, waving his arms.

Iwaizumi’s got his teeth gritted, anger seeping through him rather quickly. “For fuck’s sake Oikawa, you brought a stupid floatie, but not things for a fire!?”

Oikawa appears surprised by the outburst and his demeanour shifts as if Iwaizumi’s lashed-out anger enters his body. “Uh, yea I did bring things for a fire actually!” He yells back.

Iwaizumi doesn’t back away from the challenge, obviously. He steps closer, hands on his hips. “Yea, like what!?”

And when Oikawa’s eyes meet the tree tops and he actually starts thinking on it, the anger in his voice is replaced with reluctance. “The important things! Like matches. And marshmallows…” He pauses, holding up a finger for each point he lists off. “And graham crackers, some booze…”

Iwaizumi’s eyebrow starts twitching, yet his voice is quieter this time. “Has anyone ever told you how useless you are?” He asks with a cock of his head. He doesn’t leave a chance for a response, turning away and walking ahead of Oikawa without another word.

“Wait, Iwa-chan are you going back to the campsite?”

“I’m going to grab my fishing rod. Don’t follow,” Iwaizumi barks back without turning around.

* * *

The anger and frustration are plucked away bit by bit as Oikawa watches Iwaizumi get smaller and smaller in the forest. Sadness replaces it, sending Oikawa down in the dumps. He stands still in place for a couple minutes, occasionally slapping his arm or leg with he feels a mosquito landing on his skin. He checks his phone for the time quickly and then runs his fingers through his hair. The roots of his hair are starting to feel damp from sweat. He wonders how Iwaizumi is surviving in a long sleeve shirt. Even if the extra clothing saves him from being bit by bugs, Oikawa’s not sure it’s a better trade off to sweat the extra amount.

A frown comes to Oikawa’s face thinking about Iwaizumi and he decides to start searching for branches to create a fire. He wanders without much thought, aimlessly searching to keep his mind off being upset. It’s not that Iwaizumi’s harsh words are the issue; the verbal abuse is something Oikawa has become accustom to in their long friendship. Iwaizumi’s insults rolled off his back like they were a minor sound to be heard if you listened carefully enough. This time, the look in Iwaizumi’s eyes and the harshness in his voice made the words feel _real_ for once.

Amidst his searching, Oikawa comes across one of the many dirt paths running through the campsite. He decides to stick on it for a bit in case he accidentally wanders off too far. He’s surprised to find a small wooden cabin in a fork of the path ahead of him. After taking in the stacks of firewood and various items on display, Oikawa realizes it’s a small convenience store. He lets out a sound of excitement and drops the pile of wood he’s carrying off to the side of the path, starting towards the cabin with a spring in his step. Just the luck he needs!

The few steps leading up to the house creak under his weight and so does the door when he opens it. A small bell jingles from overhead and Oikawa is greeted by a young, disinterested-looking girl wearing a loose t-shirt and ballcap, with her blonde hair in a ponytail. She’s sitting at the front counter, looking up from her phone for a moment after saying hello to him. He greets back politely, walking around the small aisles to try and find kindling. Unfortunately, it seems his luck has maxed out, because he doesn’t see it anywhere. He does grab a bottle of bug spray and a bag of ice from the small freezer, walking to the register to pay.

“Do you sell kindling?” He asks ballcap girl while she’s typing out numbers on the register.

She shakes her head back and forth without looking up from the till. “Sold my last pack a little while ago.”

Oikawa holds back a frown and asks for a bag of firewood as well, waiting for the total cost. He supposes it can’t be that hard to start a fire without it, right?

She tells him quietly how much everything is and after he’s paid and heading out the door, ballcap girl speaks up quietly. “If you need something to help start it, try using some birch bark,” she offers quietly.

He turns to look at her curiously and she waves him back over to the counter wordlessly. Oikawa returns and sees she’s grabbed a map of the campsite. The girl uncaps a marker and circles a spot with a small house icon on the map. “We’re right here,” she explains quietly. Her hand moves across the page, marking an ‘x’ near the bottom right. “There’s a bunch of birch trees here. The bark is dry and paper-like, so it catches fire easily like kindling.”

Oikawa’s eyes light up. “Wow! That’s super helpful.”

Ballcap girl gives a half smile, giving him a couple other tips before giving him the map. He thanks her and exits on a much happier note than when he entered, feeling like he’s got a mission to accomplish now. He gathers firewood into a netted bag provided and sets off back to the campsite, energized despite the deep-set afternoon heat beating down on him.

After he drops off the firewood, the ice into the cooler and all but drenches himself in bug spray, Oikawa sets back onto the path with the map in hand, mentally planning out the route to find the birch trees. He folds the map up into his back pocket and stretches his hands over his head, hearing a couple pops in his back.

It takes him about half an hour to find the trees and it’s a little difficult to peel the bark off of the birch trees. At one point the bark catches under his thumbnail, making Oikawa hiss and draw it close to his chest. He checks for blood and then shakes his hand out, using his other one to peel it more carefully. Once he’s got a decent amount, he heads back to the site. Iwaizumi still isn’t back from fishing when he’s returned and Oikawa can’t help wondering if he’s taking a long time on purpose. He tries not to think about it, or the way that thought dampens his mood slightly again.

With everything needed in place, Oikawa gets ready to prepare the fire and kneels in front of the small charred pit. Unfortunately, the task turns out to be more challenging than originally anticipated. He tries to build a small pyramid of twigs like ballcap girl instructed him, but it keeps on falling apart and won’t stand up. He lets out a disgruntled sound after adding a branch that causes the structure to tumble for the third time, taking a couple breath to calm himself down.

“Come on, they're just twigs,” he whispers to himself, picking up a y-shaped twig and balancing it against a straight one. Surely, he can manage this.

Eventually, he builds a small, yet sturdy pyramid, no bigger than the length of his hand. He takes pieces of the birch bark and bundles them together, carefully maneuvering them underneath the twigs. When Oikawa pulls his hand back, he accidently bumps a twig which causes the whole thing to fall in a slump. For a couple of seconds, Oikawa simply stares blankly.

Then he releases a frustrated groan. A loud one.

* * *

Oikawa’s not sure how much time it’s been and he’s not sure he wants to check his phone to figure out how much time has been wasted with no results. He’s feeling almost delirious right now, hunched over on his knees above the fire pit, hands covered in black soot and feeling like he’s sweating _everywhere_. Is it somehow getting hotter even though the sun should be setting soon?

When he successfully builds the small twig pyramid and gets the birch bark in place underneath without knocking it down, Oikawa almost titters excitedly to himself. He almost doesn’t want to hype himself up, considering how easily the thing falls over with the slightest touch, but he reaches for a match with shaking hands and strikes it quickly, holding it out to the bundle of birch bark under the pyramid. It doesn’t catch and Oikawa yelps when the match flame gets too close to his skin. His instincts jerk his hand back and he knocks over the twigs for the countless time.

Oikawa almost tears up.

* * *

He gets to a point so defeated that Oikawa starts begging for the wood to catch on fire. Still hunched over on his knees, he presses his hands together and shuts his eyes tight, pleading out loud for the fire to get started. He rambles on about how if he can’t start it, Iwa-chan will probably never forgive him. And that would totally ruin the camping trip, on their first day nonetheless!

Oikawa strikes another match. His tongue pokes out the side of his mouth in concentration and he lights a long strip of the birch, waiting for the flame to grow before tucking it neatly in a small space under the twigs. He lets go and watches the rest of the birch catch fire, fisting his hands in his lap and staring in concentration. Mentally, he pleads.

When smoke starts to fly upwards, Oikawa’s eyebrows shoot up. He bends down close to the twigs, blowing gently on the flames. They diminish slightly and Oikawa slows down, making sure he doesn’t blow the flame out completely (again). He thinks he’s failed again when the flames start dying down, but then one of the twigs catches fire too and suddenly the whole pyramid is up in flames.

Oikawa gasps audibly, staring at the flame with wide eyes like it’s a hallucination. The flames are real though, proven when he sticks a hand out to feel the heat coming off of it. Oikawa practically screams hysterically with laughter. He starts talking to the fire, shielding a hand over the small flame and blowing lightly again to encourage the flames.

“My fire, my baby fire,” Oikawa coos. He picks up another small branch and adds it to the pile carefully. Without thinking on it much, Oikawa starts singing at it as he nurses the fire. “Grow big my fire! Watch it grow, big and big!”

He stops singing and tenses up when he hears a throat being cleared. Oikawa rises to sit back on his knees, turning his head over his shoulder to stare at Iwaizumi. He’s holding a decent size fish in one hand, his rod in the other.

Oikawa’s face flushes without control. “Iwa-chan!? How long have you been there!?” He asks, mortified.

“Long enough,” Iwaizumi replies with a lip curled upwards. He says nothing else as he walks towards the cooler. Oikawa stares at the back of his head unsurely, trying to figure out if he’s still mad or not. It doesn’t seem that way, but Oikawa’s eyes drift back to the small, yet steady fire beginning to grow.

He hears the cooler lid being opened, then Iwaizumi’s low voice. “You got ice,” he comments calmly.

Oikawa adds another twig to his burning pyramid and shrugs a shoulder. “Yea and some bug spray. It’s in the tent if you want some,” he offers in return, but doesn’t look at Iwaizumi when he says it.

Iwaizumi makes a grunt of acknowledgement and Oikawa hears the tent zipper moving, followed by shuffling and the spray bottle. He looks over once when Iwaizumi is spraying his arms, then quickly back to the fire after he catches Iwaizumi staring right back at him with a blank expression. He's sweating a lot, just like him.

It’s quiet for some time. Oikawa spares another glance at Iwaizumi after his fire looks like it can suffice on its own for a few minutes. His friend sits atop of the closed cooler, changed into a sleeveless shirt and half-facing away from Oikawa while he guts the fish. Unconsciously, his eyes drift to Iwaizumi's arm, watching the muscles move taut and pausing momentarily as he cuts cleanly, dropping the waste into a metal bucket on the ground in front of him.

Maybe it’s the heat getting to his head. Maybe Oikawa’s doesn’t often pay much attention to Iwaizumi like that. Either way, his drops his gaze when embarrassing thoughts enter his mind and he releases an breathy exhale.

“Good job on the fire.” Iwaizumi comments.

A shot of pride courses through his chest, which causes Oikawa to smile at the fire fondly. Praise from Iwaizumi is rare to come by as is, and it means a lot more right now seeing as he was furious earlier. He must not be mad anymore after all.

“Thanks, Iwa-chan.”

“I like the song too. You can keep singing it if you want,” Iwaizumi adds.

Oikawa knows he’s red again, heat filling his face. “I can’t tell if you’re serious or not,” he mutters, huffing at Iwaizumi. He’s still gutting the fish, half-facing away from him, but Oikawa sees a small smile from his spot in front of the fire.

And he thinks to himself, maybe it’s not the heat after all.

* * *

After Iwaizumi has prepped and seasoned the fish, he roasts them on skewers close to the fire. It's dark by the time they're nearly done and the two of them chat here and there, but Iwaizumi can tell that Oikawa is still bothered by what happened earlier. He’s aware he was harsher than necessary during his outburst earlier, but apologizing is always awkward to do in situations like this. He’s fine when it’s something like missing a serve or getting caught up in a block, but that’s different from sitting next to Oikawa who is still practically brooding to himself during lulls of silence, his gaze fixated on the fire in front of him. Iwaizumi is a little annoyed he acts so dramatically, but he knows what he’s gotta do.

He starts by offering a cooked fish fillet to Oikawa on a paper plate, topped with a roasted lemon slice and a rice ball that he packed in the cooler beforehand. He gets them both a beer to drink. Iwaizumi isn’t sure who bought the alcohol for Oikawa, but he’s also not surprised the creep has the connections to get a hold of some. Oikawa accepts the food and drink with a small thanks mumbled and Iwaizumi simply nods, serving himself next.

They make quiet conversation between bites and Iwaizumi catches Oikawa eating quicker than normal. 

“Is it good?” He asks, looking at the fire.

“Mmf,” Oikawa sounds off, chewing and swallowing. He nods his head.

Iwaizumi released an amused breath, nodding back. “Good. S’mores for dessert?” He suggests.

Oikawa lights up brighter than the fire in front of him, perking up abruptly. Iwaizumi had a guess that would cheer him back up. “Yes!”

Once the marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers are out, Iwaizumi comes to learn Oikawa likes his marshmallows roasted completely charred black on the outside.

“You’re a textbook sociopath,” he mutters, eyeing the black crisp on the end of Oikawa’s poking stick.

“Have you ever tried one like this? It’s good,” he insists.

“No and I never will,” Iwaizumi replies casually. “It’s not-“

A sudden rattling comes from behind them. Iwaizumi stands up abruptly and Oikawa gasps, clutching his stick and burnt marshmallow close.

“What was that?” Oikawa asks in a hushed whisper.

Iwaizumi can’t see much outside of the light the campfire provides, not catching anything out of the ordinary. “I dunno. You got your phone?” He asks.

Oikawa nods and passes it over. Iwaizumi turns the flashlight on and walks around the site, hearing the rattling again. He feels hands clutching his shoulder and resists turning to scowl at Oikawa for being such a coward. Although, Iwaizumi isn’t sure what it is and hopes it’s not a bear or something. A pair of golden eyes reflect back at them when Iwaizumi swipes the flashlight to the side and he almost drops the phone in surprise.

It’s a raccoon, who was feasting on the remaining guts and uneaten parts of the fish in the tipped over metal bucket. Oikawa’s hands on him release and he turns away with a sound that is a little sickly while Iwaizumi start taking one of his shoes off.

“Wait Iwa-chan, what are you doing?” Oikawa asks worriedly.

Iwaizumi shushes him and throws it towards the animal. His shoe hits the bucket with a loud clang and the raccoon hisses and scurries off further into the forest, out of sight. Iwaizumi runs up, grabs the bucket and chucks the whole thing away deep into the forest.

He hears Oikawa laughing from behind. “What are you doing?”

Iwaizumi turns the flashlight off after he puts his shoe back on, giving it back to Oikawa. “I’ll go find it in the morning. I forgot to empty the bucket. Sorry.”

They walk back to the fire and Oikawa puts his hands on his hips and puffs his chest out. “Has anyone ever told you how useless you are?” He mocks, lowering the pitch of his voice.

Iwaizumi throws him into a headlock. After several whines and protests from Oikawa he relaxes his grip, but one of his hand plants itself on the back of Oikawa’s neck. Iwaizumi guides Oikawa’s head to face him directly, watching his friend’s dark eyes grow large, maybe surprised by the intimate gesture. He's got a mosquito bite above his left eyebrow and on the side of his jaw, the small, inflamed spots red like he's been scratching at them. 

“I shouldn’t have said that. I was wrong,” Iwaizumi mumbles in apology, catching himself staring a bit too long without saying anything and feeling flustered.

Warmth enters Oikawa’s eyes and he smiles slowly. “I know Iwa-chan. Make me a s’more and we’ll call it a truce.”


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning, Oikawa wakes up already much too warm for comfort. Sweat has dampened his loose t-shirt and caused it to stick to his skin annoyingly. The back of his neck is really hot too. He swipes a hand over the skin and grimaces at the wetness the sticks to his fingers. He kicks himself out of his sleeping bag and stretches his limbs out before sitting up cross-legged with a silent yawn. Opening his eyes again, Oikawa’s sight lands on Iwaizumi, sleeping soundly. He’s free of a shirt, wearing shorts and sleeping on top of his sleeping bag. Oikawa is annoyed at how unbothered Iwaizumi looks, clearly not as hot or sticky as he’s feeling.

He’s also peeved at how long he stares at Iwaizumi’s back, watching his body rise and fall with slow breaths. Eyes taking in the dip at the curve of his spine, outlining the prominent muscles on his back. There's already the makings of tan lines behind his neck, the skin a darker shade than the rest of his back.

Oikawa swallows thickly, standing up and exiting the tent as quiet as possible. He’s parched, craving a glass of water. A breeze right now would be nice too. Anything to cool down and slow his fluttering heart.

* * *

Iwaizumi emerges from the tent not long after and Oikawa has to avert his eyes down to his water bottle and take a sip, giving a wave to Iwaizumi instead of having to look at him and speak words. He should tell him to put a damn shirt on already.

“Morning,” Iwaizumi says, more so a grumble than a coherent word. He doesn’t look at Oikawa, his eyes half closed and turning to walk into the forest to relieve himself. He wanders back a minute or so later, still looking groggy though his eyes are a bit more open.

Iwaizumi yawns. “You look gross, what’s your deal?” He asks.

“Tch,” Oikawa spits out, turning his head up and away. “It was hot in the tent.”

“You shouldn’t have slept in the sleeping bag, I told you that last night.”

“But I was cold then!”

“Boo hoo. Come on, we’ll go to the lake for a quick swim.”

Oikawa nods eagerly, saying he needs to change quick first. Once both ready, they set off towards the lake. Partway through the trip, Oikawa realizes he forgot his floatie and groans frustratedly.

“I can’t believe you brought a floatie but no bug spray,” Iwaizumi teases.

“I said I forgot it! It’s not like I meant to,” Oikawa huffs back, crossing his arms over his chest.

* * *

The edge of the lake comes into view and Iwaizumi watches Oikawa perk up at the water. A grin flashes over his face and he breaks into a run towards the dock Iwaizumi fished at yesterday. Iwaizumi trails behind casually, walking with his hands stuffed in his pockets. How Oikawa can get so excited over a lake Iwaizumi isn’t really sure.

Nonetheless, he watches Oikawa run onto the dock, kicking off his sandals and running barefoot along the wooden pathway with a bright smile on his face. Iwaizumi doesn’t fight the fondness in his eyes at the sight. Oikawa’s feet make soft thumping sounds as he runs along the wood and as he stops at the edge of the dock and stares over the lake, Iwaizumi is finally approaching the base.

“Iwa-chan, take my picture!” Oikawa exclaims, reaching into the pocket of his swimming shorts to retrieve his phone. Iwaizumi approaches wordlessly, simply nodding and taking the phone from Oikawa before backing up several paces and raising the phone in front of himself.

“How do you have full battery on this?” Iwaizumi asks.

“Portable battery bank,” Oikawa answers.

“He brings a _Portable battery bank_ , but no bug spray.”

“Shut up, Iwa-chan!”

He snaps a photo of Oikawa facing him, giving the peace sign and Iwaizumi lowers the phone to give it back but Oikawa protests, demanding he take multiple pictures in different poses. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and complies, not really surprised by the narcissism, but becomes quickly annoyed with Oikawa after he removes his shirt after a few shots so he’s left in his swimming trunks.

“You’re awful,” Iwaizumi comments. Despite this, his eyes focus on Oikawa’s body through the phone screen.

Oikawa grins brighter, turning around to face the lake. “Get a candid one!” He replies cheerily, completely ignoring the insult. “I wish I brought my floatie with us.”

Iwaizumi audibly sighs this time. After a few seconds, Oikawa asks him if he took the picture with his back still facing him. Oddly enough, Iwaizumi gets a sudden idea that is too tempting to pass up when it enters his mind.

“I’m taking another one, it wasn’t in focus,” he states. Oikawa gives a hum in response and is completely oblivious to Iwaizumi pulling his shirt off and dropping it next to his feet, before setting Oikawa’s phone down on it then slipping his shoes off.

The pounding sounds of footsteps resounding off the wooden dock cause Oikawa’s head to spin around abruptly. He throws his hands out uselessly as Iwaizumi barrels towards him, unable to do much other than stare with wide eyes. “Huh? Wait, Iwa-chan no-!”

He yelps, receiving a full-on tackle from Iwaizumi, sending them both soaring off the dock and into the lake with loud splashes. Iwaizumi surfaces first, already laughing and then absolutely losing it at Oikawa’s expression when he comes up. His hair clings to his face and neck, bangs splayed messily over his forehead.

Oikawa splashes him. “That wasn’t funny.”

Iwaizumi splashes back, watching his friend flinch from the water and smirking. “You’re right. It was hilarious.”

Something sparks within Oikawa’s gaze and the next thing Iwaizumi knows, he being jumped on and hands are pressing down on his shoulders. They wrestle around for a moment before Iwaizumi gains hold of Oikawa’s arms and comes back up for air, laughing breathlessly. Up this close, Iwaizumi can see Oikawa’s wet eyelashes clumped together. They’re really long, almost feminine looking and he decides he likes how they frame his eyes.

“What are you trying to do, drown me?” He asks lightheartedly, cracking a snicker. He feels the movement of water from Oikawa’s legs treading in front of him.

“You deserve it for ruining my photo,” Oikawa counters, pouting at him and shaking his head back and forth. Iwaizumi turns away with a scrunched face, trying to avoid the water flinging from Oikawa’s hair.

“It was a good photo, you wet dog,” Iwaizumi assures, then flicks him on the nose for added effort.

Oikawa would shortly come to find out the picture was good, save for the fact that Iwaizumi’s free hand is also placed in front of the camera, flipping off Oikawa as he faces the lake with his arms spread out to his sides.

“You’re the _worst!_ ”

“It’s a good photo, really.” Iwaizumi insists.

* * *

After a morning swim and breakfast, courtesy of the meals Iwaizumi packed in the cooler, they decide to explore more of the campsite. Oikawa learns from the map of the site that there’s an outdoor rec area with a basketball court and soccer nets. They decide to bring a volleyball Oikawa packed with them in hopes that there’s a net set up too.

Upon arrival, Oikawa sees a group of kids playing what looks to be horse on the basketball court. The group pays them no mind as they walk by, shouting and cheering coming from the kids’ general direction. It turns out there’s a net set up too, giving them a spot to toss the volleyball back and forth. Oikawa asks if he can practice serving and Iwaizumi agrees reluctantly.

“No jump serves,” he instructs, a threat hanging in his tone.

“Ugh, no fun,” Oikawa murmurs to himself, spinning the ball in his hands.

“What was that!?” Iwaizumi calls back from the other side of the net.

“I said you’re boring, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa taunts back. He sees the frustration on Iwaizumi’s face and before he gets a chance to cross under the net and throttle him, Oikawa throws the ball up and delivers a float serve.

“You shit!” Iwaizumi barks back, attention focused on the ball flying towards him. Oikawa watches his arms come above his head and he tosses the ball back determinedly. Running towards the ball as it’s reaching its apex, a wicked grin takes Oikawa’s face and he leaps high, arms swinging and spiking the ball in return. The sound it makes when it hits the ground isn’t near satisfying as it is in a gymnasium, but that’s to be expected when playing on a grass field.

Iwaizumi looks to the ball bouncing away and then back to Oikawa with a frown, who in turn smiles playfully and gives him a peace sign. With a roll of his eyes, Iwaizumi turns away to retrieve the ball and throws it to Oikawa for another serve.

Throughout their practice, Oikawa catches the group of kids on the basketball court staring at them every now and then. When Iwaizumi delivers a powerful spike that breaks through Oikawa’s block, one of the kids makes an audible sound of wonder.

“Hmph. I bet they’d be even more excited if they saw my jump serve,” Oikawa mutters, bending over to pick up the volleyball on his side.

“Stop being jealous over something stupid, Trashykawa,” Iwaizumi returns, dragging his fingers through his hair. He’s already working up a sweat and Oikawa isn’t far behind, the constant heat of the sun rising his temperature alongside the exercise.

“Think we should get a game going?” Oikawa asks as he passes the volleyball over the net with a bump.

Iwaizumi returns it with a volley. “Sure, it’s better than just the two of us.”

Instead of passing it back, Oikawa catches the volleyball and turns to the kids abruptly. They look startled at his sudden attention on them, until he waves at them with a friendly smile and asks if they want to join in. One of them steps forward first and the rest start to follow. They can’t be more than eight or nine years old.

The kids decide that Iwaizumi and Oikawa should be team captains. Immediately, Oikawa gets into it and becomes excited as he rotates picking players with Iwaizumi. They have enough for a four-on-four game and Oikawa has the two boys and one girl huddle up with him before they start. He does it more to see Iwaizumi’s glower from the other side, obviously not impressed at his attempt of strategizing with a group of kids whose names he learned only minutes ago.

They flip a coin to see who serves and Oikawa flashes his teammates a grin when he takes the win.

“Same rules as earlier, Crappykawa!” Iwaizumi barks out. “No jump serves!”

The girl on his team, the tallest kid of the group, turns to look at him with a confused expression. “What did he just call you?” She mumbles.

“Iwa-chan isn’t very smart. Sometimes he forgets my name,” Oikawa explains with a straight face. The girl nods in understanding, facing the net again.

“ _I heard that!"_ Iwaizumi hollers back, clenching a fist at Oikawa in warning.

Instead of baiting him further, Oikawa gives a soft underhanded serve over the net to start the game. The kids aren’t as bad as he thought they would be. Of course, they’re kids that make sloppy mistakes and have poor receiving skills, but they pick up on setting up attacks fairly quickly which Oikawa uses to his advantage as setter. Playing a game that has no weight, no status or reputation to hold up is oddly entertaining. He gets more thrilled that the shorter of the two boys on his team finally receives a serve with a clean bump than when he gets a service ace in a crowded gym. It’s strange.

He’s reminded of younger days watching the kids interact too. Hyping each other up when they make a serve that goes over the net, or joking playfully when they hit it. In some ways, Oikawa feels like he’s watching a younger self. A youthful child, running around with Iwaizumi always tagging alongside him. Learning to play volleyball together and laughing at each other’s silly mistakes. He pictures Iwaizumi’s booming laugh when he would miss his serve and the volleyball would land on Oikawa's head.

It's easy to tell Iwaizumi is enjoying himself too, though it shows in subtle ways. He always praises the kids when they do well and gives them tips here and there. The girl on his team seems to really like Iwaizumi too, which Oikawa can’t help giggling behind a hand about.

“What are you laughing about, you creep?”

“Oh nothing Iwa-chan,” Oikawa says, waving him off with a grin.

By the end of a few sets they barely keep track of, the lot is worn out and ready for a rest. They rest under the shade of some trees and only minutes later the kids are running off back to their campsites, saying they’re going for lunch. Oikawa waves them off cheerily and Iwaizumi nods. Watching them walk away and chatting animatedly with each other, Oikawa pictures himself and Iwaizumi again, this time without consciously doing it. Slowly, a sense of loss blankets itself over his mind.

“Hey,” Iwaizumi’s voice cuts through and grabs Oikawa’s attention. “Let’s go eat lunch too. I’m hungry.”

He forces a smile. “Me too.”

* * *

Iwaizumi senses something off in Oikawa's behaviour the rest of the afternoon. In truth, he’s sensed them since the end of their game with the kids. They went for another swim after lunch and Oikawa simply drifted around on his donut-shaped floatie ("Look Iwa-chan, it has a bite out of it. Isn't that cute?") and basically napped while Iwaizumi kept an eye on his from the dock to make sure he didn't drift to far out. 

If there’s a big tell about Oikawa’s shift in mood, it’s his lack of presence. He doesn’t speak as much, his voice isn’t as energetic and overall, his demeanor is setback to some degree. To the average eye, he would seem perfectly normal. Too bad Iwaizumi’s not the average person when he observes his friend.

He doesn't address it until it's close to evening and they're watching the sunset at the lake. Their feet hang above the water as they sit on the edge of the dock, side by side. “What’s up?” Iwaizumi asks, bumping Oikawa’s shoulder gently.

“Hm?” Oikawa asks with a phony grin, even though for the past five minutes he's been staring at the water solemnly. Iwaizumi isn’t a fan. Never has been, observing Oikawa wear that smile like a mask around others.

“You’re quiet,” Iwaizumi points out.

Oikawa waves a hand absentmindedly. “I’m fine Iwa-chan, just thinking,”

“Now I _know_ something is wrong.”

Oikawa rolls his eyes, the fake smile fading ever-so-slightly. A step in the right direction.

“Maybe Iwa-chan just isn't used to the complexities of inner thoughts,” Oikawa counters and with that, the fake smile returns.

Iwaizumi gets a bad taste in his mouth. One step forward, two back. “Ugh. Get that terrible smile off your face,” he resigns with a grunt.

“This is just how I look!” Oikawa returns vehemently, eyebrows furrowed.

Iwaizumi turns to Oikawa, reaching a hand near his face and catches his friend stiffen momentarily before Iwaizumi has one of his cheeks pinched tightly in his fingers.

“Ow, ow!” Oikawa cries, trying to pull back. Iwaizumi holds sturdy a few extra seconds, glaring silently then releasing his cheek.

“There. You actually look like yourself now,” Iwaizumi comments, leaning back and resting his hands against the dock for support.

Oikawa is rubbing his cheek gently, eyes narrowed and pouting at the lake. “What does that mean!? That _hurt_ you know.”

Only part of Oikawa’s face is visible from where Iwaizumi sits and the skin on his cheek is flushed red. As is his ears. Iwaizumi shrugs, eyes trailing to the calm waters in front of him.

“I can tell when you’re faking,” Iwaizumi explains. “I’ve always been able to.”

He expects some kind of a protest involving Oikawa trying to prove his genuineness and yet, a silence stretches between them. Iwaizumi hears a long exhale from Oikawa when he decides to speak again.

“Nothing gets passed you, huh Iwa-chan?” He asks.

Oikawa turns his head around to stare and just for a breath or two, their eyes connect. Nothing is said, but it’s already noticeably in the air so it doesn’t need to be. Iwaizumi swallows dryly and Oikawa looks forward at the lake again, eyes searching for something to focus on. Leaning forward, Iwaizumi rests a hand atop of one of Oikawa’s, which grips the edge of the dock tightly.

He can feel Oikawa’s gaze, so he spares a glance his way only to see surprised eyes and a hint of a red spreading high on his cheeks to the rest of his face. But Oikawa doesn’t pull his hand back, in fact it relaxes underneath his touch. Again without words, they both turn their heads back to stare at the lake once more. Iwaizumi feels Oikawa’s hand pull back slightly and a hint of disappointment appears, only to be squashed away when Oikawa threads their fingers together.

“You don’t have to talk,” Iwaizumi says lightheartedly, sensing his stare again. He knows he’s smiling as the words leave his mouth. The only reason Iwaizumi doesn’t meet his gaze is because he has a feeling he’ll get caught up it and probably kiss Oikawa. Strangely enough, the thought doesn’t seem as intimidating as he expected it to when it enters his mind. “But let me keep you company.”

* * *

On the walk back to their campsite, they continue to hold hands. Oikawa uses his free one to hold his flashlight on his phone, giving them direction. It’s only when they’re back at the site that they separate. Iwaizumi somehow builds a fire in the dark and Oikawa feels rather overshadowed, trying not to be bugged by it even after Iwaizumi smirks at him when the fire catches on his first match. They drink again tonight and Oikawa manages to get Iwaizumi to try a marshmallow done to his own liking. He thinks Iwaizumi plays up his disgusted reaction, but Oikawa laughs anyway. In return, Iwaizumi proclaims he’ll show him what a _real_ marshmallow should taste like, and proceeds to curate a perfectly golden one. Oikawa smiles as it's passed to him, not really caring what it would taste like. Just happy that Iwaizumi made one for him.

After several hours and drinks, Oikawa proclaims he wants to go on a midnight walk. Iwaizumi puts out the fire with the bucket and they trail out onto the path. They wonder along the path of the campsite until a break in the trees appears and they’re met with the open rec field. Oikawa’s eyes rocket upwards immediately, caught up in the sight of the countless stars in the black sky. He steps forward slowly, head craned up and taking as much of it in as he can.

He looks towards Iwaizumi, smiling. “Hey Iwa-chan-“ and he stops himself, blinking. Iwaizumi is dimly lit by the moon, stopped in place right at the edge of the trees with his hands in the pockets of his sweater and staring directly at Oikawa. The staring isn’t what catches him off guard. It’s the way he stares, with a smile reaching his eyes.

His lips close and Iwaizumi steps forward, walking to catch up with him. Oikawa watches his head tilt back to observe the night sky around them.

“It’s never like this at home,” Iwaizumi comments quietly. “You almost forget how many stars are out there.”

“An estimated hundred billion,” Oikawa chimes in, catching sight of the big dipper and mentally tracing a line through the constellation.

Iwaizumi huffs out laughter. Then he starts walking father into the field and Oikawa follows moments later, staring at the back of his head. Iwaizumi seems… different right now. Maybe he’s tired? Or it’s the alcohol. Probably the latter. He was like this last night too.

Iwaizumi stops after a minute or so, seemingly deciding on a spot and drops into a sit before laying on his back, an arm bent behind his head to support it. Oikawa follows suit, laying opposite to him so the tops of their heads nearly touch.

“Think we’ll see some shooting stars?” Oikawa asks, resting a hand on his stomach.

“Maybe. They’re pretty rare though,” Iwaizumi comments.

“You’ve seen them before?” Oikawa asks excitedly.

“Well…yea a couple times as a kid.”

“Aw, Iwa-chan is so lucky…”

Iwaizumi’s voice takes a change. “Why’d you wanna go camping so bad anyway, it’s not your first time, is it?

He finds Mars, studying the bright spec in the sky. “Hm, no. I went a few times with my family when I was younger.”

“So?”

“I thought it’d be fun.”

He misses Iwaizumi raising an eyebrow. “Hm. Has it been so far?”

A grin breaks Oikawa’s features. “Yes! It’s fun because I’m with Iwa-chan,” he explains warmly.

The sky is obstructed from his view when Iwaizumi’s head appears overtop of him. Keeping eye contact, Oikawa thinks Iwaizumi might be blushing, which is a tempting thought. Moments pass and Iwaizumi speaks up quietly.

“We always have lots of fun, don’t we?” He asks genuinely.

Oikawa nods, grin still plastered on his face. A knot bound tightly together in the back of his mind is stretched so tight it snaps abruptly without warning. His muscles feel strained keeping the smile in place, a balling sensation forming in his throat. Oikawa blinks and when he opens his eyes, Iwaizumi is blurry. A curse is whispered before he reaches a hand up to cover his face, but Iwaizumi grasps his wrist before he can hide.

“What is it?” Iwaizumi asks, concern filling his expression.

Oikawa sighs shakily and rolls his head to the side to break eye contact. Iwaizumi’s free hand pushes his head back into place, not letting him wiggle out of this.

And with that, a shaky exhale follows. “Things are changing soon. We’re not going to see each other like this,”

Iwaizumi cocks an eyebrow. “You say that like one of us is going to die.”

Oikawa shakes his head. “After this year-“

“Why are you worrying about that now? There’s still two terms left before graduation.”

The way he talks of this suggests he’s had the same thoughts hanging around himself, Oikawa decides. Two terms could have been two minutes to him right now, the way he feels like he’s slipping through the cracks. It’s like somewhere in the background of crickets chirping in the night there’s a ticking clock, drawing closer and closer to the end.

“I don’t know what’s gotten you so in your head, but it’s annoying,” Iwaizumi says, both of his hands holding the sides of Oikawa’s face. “When you go visit your grandma for Christmas break, do you get like this?”

Oikawa shakes his head back and forth slightly, though he does recall acting sulky for days on end and getting scolded by his parents for it.

“What about when my family and I went on vacation two years ago for nearly a month?”

Again, a shake of his head. “But I knew we’d see each other again,” Oikawa protests meekly.

Iwaizumi’s hands press harder against him. His face leans closer down. The way he looks right now makes Oikawa want him bad. “No matter what happens in the future, or where we go, we’ll always find our way back to each other, even if it takes a long time. I’ll see you when I get back. You’ll see me when I get back. Got it?”

At a loss for words, Oikawa chooses to nod slowly. He thinks there’s more, but Iwaizumi pulls back and lays down again, the top of his head touching Oikawa’s. Blinking at the stars with wide eyes, Oikawa tries to catch up to his rapid heart rate and lungs that crave air more than ever. He takes a couple breaths for good luck, then Oikawa rolls over so he’s hovering atop of Iwaizumi now. Brown eyes meet grey and they stay that way for some time. Iwaizumi reaches a hand up to rest against his cheek, which makes Oikawa throw all remaining restraint over his shoulder and he leans down to press a kiss against Iwaizumi’s lips. When he pulls away, Iwaizumi brings him back down with strong arms.

Kissing Iwaizumi is new and it’s exciting. In a way he finds hard to explain, it also feels familiar. It doesn’t take much time for their exchanges to become restless, tilting their heads so each kiss is deeper. Oikawa is greedy, not wanting to give this up even for a second. Thankfully, Iwaizumi seems to feel the exact same way, their teeth bumping once when he kisses with a bit too much pressure. He hears Iwaizumi mumble an apology on his lips and Oikawa responds by meeting his tongue halfway in their next kiss.

Another round of adrenaline sparks inside of him at the new contact. Though his lips become swollen from their prolonged kisses, Oikawa pays it no mind. Iwaizumi breaks away first, looking up at Oikawa and dragging his thumb over his bottom lip. Oikawa sees his gaze shift momentarily to the side, before flicking back to Oikawa’s.

“Oikawa?” He asks softly.

“Yea?”

“I saw a shooting star just now. You missed it.”

“What? Iwa-chan, no fair!”

Oikawa watches Iwaizumi smile, a new type of affection in his expression. There’s nothing fair about that either, but it’s something he can live with.


End file.
